The Unwilling Bride
by briancap
Summary: The house is everything a family would want. It's large, in a good neighborhood, and even cheap. But are things too good to be true? Warning: This is a pretty dark story.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One **

They were still in their night clothes, but it didn't matter. The only thing they were worried about was getting out of this house as quickly as possible. It had been a mistake moving here, she just hoped it wasn't too late.

The house was everything they could have dreamed of and she should have known then that it was too good to be true. It was in a good neighborhood, it was large, and best of all, inexpensive. The family of four had moved in and life seemed to be going great until strange things started occurring.

She looked up the history of the house and found that out of the five families who had stayed here, all but one was brutally murdered. Not only was the killer never found, but the wives of those four families were never found either.

For the one family that had survived, the wife went missing soon after they had moved from the house and no one had seen her since.

Through research and lots of begging, she finally found the information for the family that had survived and contacted them. The father told her to leave as quickly as possible. "He wants you." Were his last words to her before he hung up, abruptly.

She didn't know what he meant or who the father was referring to, but she decided to trust his words and her gut feeling and move. However, moving wasn't as fast or as easy as she thought. They had spent so much money on this house, and they would be hard-pressed to find another house so soon. Regardless, with each passing day the urge to leave this house had gotten stronger and stronger and she eventually found out who "he" was to her horror.

Grabbing a luggage that was hastily filled with things like clothes and shoes, her, her husband, and two children ran downstairs towards the front door. When she went to turn the doorknob, it was locked, and it wouldn't budge. Her husband moved her out of the way and twisted it as hard as he could but it still wouldn't unlock. He kicked the door, but it remained firmly in place.

The woman grabbed a chair and threw it at the windows but the glass didn't shatter either. That's when they heard it.

It was a loud chilling laugh that caused all of them to freeze into place. It seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time, and she felt tears welling in her eyes.

She grabbed the chair and tried to throw it again and the glass still didn't break. In a burst of rage, she beat her fists against the windows and cursed her frustration.

Knowing the end was near, she turned to hold her family and found they were gone. Her eyes widening, she backed up, disbelief and shock mixing together in her mind.

"No!" She screamed, as tears streamed down her eyes. "Give them back! Give them back to me, Loki!" The laughter rang louder and she covered her ears and dropped to the floor, sobbing.

"It's not too late." The voice said calmly, and as she looked up, she found that Loki was standing right above her. There was a smile on his face as he glanced down at her on the floor.

Quickly standing up, she attacked him or at least tried but Loki was too powerful. She doubted anything could hurt him. He was not of this world.

His large hands captured her wrists, "This is your last chance to save your family." He whispered.

Staring up at him and knowing he was serious, she resigned to her fate. "Okay." She said in a hushed voice, nearly cracking in its sadness and grief. Loki let her go before holding out his hand, expectantly.

She stared at his hand for a long time. Thoughts swirling in her head about resistance but then she thought of her family, her husband and her two sweet boys and she couldn't allow them to suffer. She would do what she had to do.

She placed her hand in his and he smiled. "I knew you would make the smart choice." He teased.

"Will you let my family go now? Can I at least say goodbye to them?" She asked, quietly.

Loki sighed, closing his eyes. He opened them again and told her, "You have five minutes. They are in the basement."

She quickly dropped his hand and ran towards there, nearly tripping as she rounded the corner. She opened the basement door and went downstairs.

There, her husband and two boys were, looking confused as to how they even ended up in the basement in the first place. She ran and put her arms around them all, tears starting to flow. She kissed her husband Sam. "I love you. I love you so much."

Then she turned to her boys and got down on her knees. "Mommy is about to go but she loves you all so much and wants you to be happy."

"Don't go." One said, pleading.

"Oh, I wish I could stay but I have to. I love you all so much." She kissed them on her forehead and embraced them tightly.

"Time is up." Loki said at the top of the basement.

In a fit of rage, Sam ran towards Loki with murder in his eyes. The moment he reached the bottom step, Loki made some sort of hand motion and the husband went flying. His body was lifted by some unseen force and he was slammed harshly into the wall, head first. As he fell to the ground, the wife could see that his nose was bleeding and blood was pouring out of his mouth as well. He wasn't moving.

The wife ran to him, but an unseen force stopped her as well. It didn't throw her into a wall or cause her any bodily harmed, it just held her in place.

"You said you wouldn't kill them." She sobbed, outraged.

"And he isn't dead." Loki replied. "Come along now. He will wake up in a few hours and take your sons elsewhere and continue to live a happy life."

The unseen force let her go and with hesitancy and reluctance, she walked up the stairs toward the god who was calling for her.

He grabbed her hand again and led her out of the basement. Her mind was going a mile a minute. She was thinking of ways to hold this off and even escape. She saw his powers and knew that he was practically invincible but every force in her body told her to try to escape one last time.

"What happens now?" She asked, curiously. Her sobbing had died down a bit, but a few tears here and there still escaped her.

He stopped walking and turned to her. He rubbed her cheek affectionately and kissed her forehead. It took everything in her body not to squirm under his touch.

Taking her face into his hands, he said, "Now, you become my wife."

"Why me?" She wept. It wasn't fair at all. She had always been a good person. She had never hurt anyone, lied to anyone, or bullied anyone. It wasn't fair that everything she got would suddenly go up in flames.

He gently wiped her tears away. Usually, he wore a smirk or grin on his face but here he seemed deathly serious. "It's what sustains me." He said.

"Isn't there some other way?" She asked.

"No."

They headed towards the backyard and she shuddered. With each step she took, she noticed her body grew colder and colder. There was a heavy weight in her left robe pocket. She had placed the gun there as she and her husband were quickly packing their things. They had bought it to protect themselves against any intruders, but she never imagined she would be thinking of using it on a god, or demon, or whatever Loki was.

She only knew that he felt real. His hand in hers, their fingers entwined together was real, and so she hoped the effect on his body would be real as well. It was her last chance and her last hope, and she would make it count.

As they exited the house and stepped into the backyard, Loki led her towards the far back where some large oak trees were. She had loved these trees the moment she first saw them but now they filled her with dread.

Each step she took, she felt a weight in her stomach sink deeper and deeper. Glancing at him subtly, she slowly reached into her robe pocket and wrapped her hand around the gun. Taking a deep breath, she turned towards Loki, aimed the gun at his chest, and fired.

The sound was loud and deafening. She aimed at his chest for a few times before moving towards his head. Loki's body shook and jerked with each bullet that pierced him, but she didn't stop firing until all of the bullets were gone.

Loki's green eyes locked onto her face and he said, "You will regret that." Before his body fell to the ground and lay still.

For a moment, she didn't move. She just stayed there and continued watching him, expecting him to jump up and move again but he remained there, on his back, with bloody gaping holes in his body. With one last long look, she turned away from him and went inside of the house to be reunited with her family again.

She slammed open the back door and ran into the house, calling her family's name. As she ran back into the basement, they were there, and she sobbed in relief and happiness.

Her husband was slowly waking up and he groaned a bit.

"Oh my god, you are okay." She practically shouted, happily throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace.

He looked at her. "Not for long." He said, coldly. "And neither will you be."

She slowly backed away from him, noticing how his voice had changed and noticed the hate that was being displayed in his eyes. He didn't let her back away for long as he stood and followed her.

"You chose poorly." He said, wrapping his hands around her throat and squeezing tightly. She tried to beat at him with her fists, but he didn't budge.

Before long, she felt herself growing weaker and spots started appearing at the corner of her eyes before she blacked out completely.

X

When she woke up, she was still feeling groggy. She tried touching her neck but found that her hands were tied. Panicking slightly, she then realized that her legs were tied as well. Becoming fully aware, she opened her eyes and found that she was tied to a chair. But not only was she tied to a chair.

Her two children were also tied to chairs with a coil of rope lodged into their mouths.

"Awake at long last." Loki said.

She turned towards where she heard his voice and saw her husband, except it wasn't her husband. It was Loki inside her husband's body.

He was grinning at her wickedly. "You thought you could fool me and just when I had decided to be merciful as well." He sneered.

She wished she could talk, to beg once more but there was rope in her mouth as well.

"Your family could have gone on to have a nice life. Your children could have grown up to be wonderful adults and have families of their own, but your selfishness ruined that. Now, "He licked his lips. "Now, you will be forced to watch them die by my hands. Or shall I say… your husband's hands."

Stepping away from her and moving towards her children, she noticed Loki had a large kitchen knife in his hand. He moved to stand by her oldest son. "How should it be?" He asked. "A slash across the throat or a stab in the heart?" He was eyeing her son as if he was actually considering how best to kill him.

It looks like Loki decided, because he grabbed a handful of her son's brown hair and stretched his neck out. "Say goodbye." He said, before running the blade across her son's throat.

Red hot blood burst out of her son's throat. It flowed like a river as it gushed everywhere. Her son's blue eyes remained wide until his eyelids closed, never to open again. She was shaking. Trying as best as she could to get out of her bonds, but they were too tight.

Loki moved on to the next child.

This time, instead of slashing his throat or stabbing him in the heart as she suspected, this time he jammed the knife into her youngest child's neck. The blood didn't come spilling out as much as before, but she heard the terrible sound of her dear child drowning on his own blood. His throat rapidly moving around the knife lodged in.

Loki didn't take the knife out. He kept it in there and moved back towards the woman. "This didn't have to happen." He whispered, softly in her ear. "You could have come with me and this could have all been avoided."

He stepped back out of her view and she heard a gun being loaded. "Now you will come with me except your whole family will be dead."

She closed her eyes, prepared for death to take her, hoping that maybe she would be reunited with her two children again. The shot rung out, making her jump, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her husband's body fell to the floor with a large thump. The bullet had gone through his skull, and blood ran down his face, his handsome face that she had loved so much, and pooled around his head.

As he fell, Loki appeared in his normal form again.

The ropes around the woman's body fell off her but she made no attempt to run or scream and fight. She was frozen. She had lost everything and everyone she ever cared about. What did she really have to live for if she did escape?

She felt Loki pick her up but even then, she didn't move or shake or fight. She simply lay there and allowed him to carry her off into the backyard and towards the oak trees.

X

Two Years Later

Elaine sighed tiredly as she set the box down in the master bedroom. She was excited about moving into a new house, but the actual moving part was exhausting. Still, she was happy to have a fresh start.

Her family had moved into a rather large house. Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a basement, and an attic. A house this big would usually be out of their pay range but it was sold for cheap.

She automatically suspected something must be wrong with the house but after inspecting it three times, she saw no issue. The house looked new. It had no holes in the walls or stains on the carpet. The floors didn't creak. There wasn't anything wrong with it at all.

Perhaps they just simply had good luck, she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Elaine was carrying up a box to the attic when she noticed another lone box already there. She thought maybe her husband or one of her kids had put it there, but then she noticed the box was a different size and color than the other boxes they had used to move.

Odd, she thought.

Upon further inspection, she realized that the box had belonged to the previous owners. Opening it, she found pictures of the old family. The father and two boys all had beautiful red hair and freckles, while the mother had brown hair. The photo was taken outside on a sunny day and they were all smiling and beaming brightly.

She continued flipping through the pictures, hoping to find a number of some kind to try to contact them. Elaine would hate to lose precious pictures of her family. As she was moving to look at the next picture, her finger got cut on one of the sides of a photo. A drop of blood began to form on her thumb, and she licked it.

The picture she cut herself on showed a new person in the photo.

It was a picture of the wife, except her husband and two sons wasn't in the photo with her like the other pictures showed. Instead, a tall man with long jet-black hair and rich emerald green eyes was standing behind her. He was smirking slightly.

It was an odd photo. Something about it seemed…off. The woman looked a little uncomfortable in the photo. The tall man had his hand on the wife's shoulder, and it looked as if the wife was doing everything she could not to squirm under his touch.

She flipped to the next picture, making sure not to cut herself again. This picture was the same as the last except it was taken at a closer angle. Flipping to the next picture, it was the same but again taken at a closer distance this time. She continued flipping and found each photo of the last taken closer and closer, until the last picture was only a photo of their faces. She almost dropped the set of photos in a bit of fright.

It seemed as if the wife and the man in the photo were both staring at her. The wife's fearful brown eyes and the man's smug green eyes both locked on to hers, but she knew she was being irrational. It's clear whoever they were, they had been staring into the camera when the photo was taken.

But why did the woman look so fearful?

She heard her name being called and she quickly set the pictures back down into the box. Putting the lid back on, she glanced at the box before leaving.

She went downstairs and heard her name being called from the backyard. Once she arrived outside, she noticed no one was there. Looking around, there was no sign of her family out there but Elaine was sure she heard her name being called from this direction.

The backyard, like the house, was rather big. It had a nice lush green lawn that would be perfect for pets that liked to roam and play. There were massive oak trees near the back and as Elaine was looking around, something black caught her eye. It was near one of the big trees and she went to it. As she got closer, a small black kitten jumped out, nearly scaring her to death.

"Oh my god." She said, clutching her chest. "You scared me, kitty." Crouching, she called to it. "Here kitty kitty. Here boy." She held out her hand and the kitten slowly came to her.

Elaine could tell the kitten was accustomed to the presence of humans as it didn't cower or run like other cats tended to do. Slowly, the cat came to her and she reached out and gently rubbed its head. The cat had a soft shiny black coat of fur. He didn't look starved nor injured. Its eyes were the clearest most beautiful shade of green she had ever seen on an animal.

She picked him up and walked back towards the house. The children were always begging for a pet so they would be beyond excited for a new cat.

As they entered into the house, her husband greeted her. "There you are. I was wondering where you had wandered off to." He said. "Where did you find that thing?" He asked, eyeing the cat a bit distastefully. He knew his wife would want to keep it but that would mean buying cat food, litter, toys, and even insurance in order to take the cat to the vet and get its shots.

"It was in the backyard." She said as she nuzzled her face on the cat. The cat accepted her affection, but he still continued staring at the husband. It was an intense stare and the wife didn't seem to notice it but the husband surely did.

X

Once all the boxes were in and everything was unpacked ad settled, Elaine decided to take a relaxing bath. One of the perks of this big house was a big bathroom and a big white bathtub. She was able to fully stretch herself out in the hot bubble-filled scented water.

As she got into the water, she felt a little sting on her upper arm. Glancing at it, she saw four faint scratch lines. She figured the kitten must have accidently scratched her as she held him yet she was just now noticing it.

Laying into the water, she closed her eyes. Images of a warm sunny place sprang into her mind. She was there with her family and they were all happy together, but then her dream started to take a turn for the worst.

Her family disappeared, as did the warm sunny place they had just been in. Instead, a harsh cold freezing terrain had taken its place. Her family was gone and she called out for them loudly, but there was no answer. She heard her name being called and she ran towards the sound, hoping to be reunited with her family.

Elaine found the source of the sound and also find her husband, except he was dead. His intestines were stringing on a tree and his eyes had been pulled out. She felt something touch her shoulder and when she turned around, she was faced with a man in black and green, smiling wickedly at her.

Elaine let out a scream and sat up in the bathtub, breathing hard. The first thing she saw was the black kitten sitting perched on the side of the bathtub, staring at her. She didn't hear it walk in. And she could have sworn she closed the door.

She realized she was suddenly freezing. She must have been asleep for a while as the water had turned cold and the bubbles were gone.

This was careless of her. If she had slid a little deeper into the water, she may have drowned.

Sighing with relief, she reached to pet the cat. It didn't seem to mind that her hands had a bit of water in them. Getting out of the bathtub, she threw on a robe and stepped into the master bedroom room. That's when her youngest son Alex entered, looking for the kitten.

"There he is." He exclaimed happily. "I was wondering where he had gone." Her son reached to pick up the kitten and took him back to his room.

After he left, Elaine closed the bedroom door before laying down on the bed beside her husband.

"Do you like it here?" He asked.

"So far, yes." She stretched, yawning. "I heard the schools are great and I love how roomy the place is. What about you?"

"I don't know. It seems good but something doesn't _feel _right."

"Nothing feels right with you." She said jokingly. "Give it some time and I am sure you will like it."

X

Alex was the youngest of Elaine and Scott's two children. He was a child obsessed with animals and it was his dream to be a veterinarian when he got older. That is why he was practically drowning with glee when his mother came into the house with a black cat and told them it would be their new pet. Once the unpacking was done, he had immediately scooped the cute fur ball into his arms and taken him into his new room.

He had played with the kitten for what seemed like hours. Scratching its ears and affectionately rubbing its belly. He decided to take a nap but before he did, he tucked himself and the kitten underneath his bed covers.

When he woke up, he noticed the cat was gone and Alex instantly searched the house to look for him. He breathed a sharp sigh of relief when he finally found the cat in his parent's bedroom and brought him back into his own room.

"You're so cute." He squealed, affectionally. Rubbing his head on the cat's. As night time settled in, Alex began to watch tv. His eyelids were getting heavier with each passing moment and with difficulty, he struggled to stay awake. Soon enough, sleep eventually won over but before his eyelids dropped closed, he noticed the cat was staring at him.

The green eyes seemed to be glowing.

X

While his wife and kids slept, Scott had gone down into the basement to unpack some of his mechanical tools. This new place was a great find, he had to admit. Even if it did seem a little creepy.

It was clear his wife and kids liked it and that was all that mattered. As he was placing a box on the ground, he heard a weird sound. He turned to his left and saw nothing was there. Scott felt a shiver run down his spine and it seemed as if the basement had suddenly turned colder.

Perhaps the house had mice or termites. That would explain why it was sold for a lower price than usual. He was going to be pissed if it turned out to be termites because that meant the house probably needed some work that could cost thousands.

Groaning, he stood up but then he heard the sound again. It was an odd sound and this time it came to his right. He looked over that way and saw….nothing. Then he heard a meow and found the cat was at the top of the stairs, looking down at him. The green eyes of the kitten seemed to glow demonically in the dark but that was just nonsense.

He didn't like the cat. It also seemed creepy. His family liked it well enough so he decided he would deal with that too. He walked up the steps to the basement towards the cat and as he reached the top step, an invisible force pushed him. He lost his footing and fell down the basement steps, coming to land painfully at the bottom on his side.

He felt a sharp pain in his right arm. And when he sat up, he saw that the cat was only a few feet away from him, staring. He backed away in fear. He wanted to rationalize that his foot had just simply slipped but he definitely felt what seemed like a pair of hands push him down the steps, yet no one had been there except for the cat.

As he backed up, the cat seemed to follow him. "Back!" He shouted. But the cat instead jumped towards him. He didn't have enough time to dodge it however as the cat landed on his chest and sank his teeth into his left arm.

The pain was instant but there was another feeling as well. He had never felt this feeling before. It was hard to explain and even harder to resist against. He felt as if he was being pushed out of his own body. It was an invading force that his entire being fought against, but he was swiftly being overpowered by something. His conscious was quickly slipping away.

"No." Was his last thought as everything faded to black.

X

"Honey, are you alright?" Elaine called down to the basement. "I thought I heard screaming." She said.

"I am fine." Her husband replied. His voice sounded weird to her but she figured it must be because he stayed up so late.

"What was the screaming then?" She asked, curiously.

"I think it came from one of the children's rooms. They probably left the television on." He replied. His eyes were raking up and down her body. They focused on her breasts first before moving down to her hips. He was staring at her so intensely, as if this was the first time he was seeing her.

"That's probably it." She eyed him up a bit since he was eying her. "So, will you come back to bed?" She asked, a smile on her lips.

"Yes." He said, as he walked up the steps. He never broke eye contact with her. Hell, he didn't even blink. He was smirking and looking at her strangely. It was half lust and half something else. As he made his way to her, he scooped her up in to his arms and kissed her passionately. His lips were soft against hers and he forced his tongue into her mouth. She melted against his hold and wrapped her own arms around his body.

Pulling away, she asked breathily, "Why are you so excited? Finally loving the house?"

"Yes." He answered, before his lips were on her neck.

He dotted kisses all around her throat and lightly bit into it. At the same time, his fingers were tracing the marks left on her upper arm by the cat earlier that day.

"I love this house." He said, eyeing her. "Let's never leave."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Loki picked her up bridal style and carried her up the stairs towards the bedroom. It had been so long since Loki had taken the form of a human. While he felt massive disdain towards humanity in general, he had to admit that it felt nice to be wrapped in human skin again.

He had been waiting quite impatiently for a new family to move into his home. He had gotten visits by quite a few families, but the wives had never been up to par for Loki. When a family visited the home that Loki didn't approve of, he quickly made them lose interest by breaking windows, moving furniture, and opening and slamming doors. Most took the hint and didn't move in.

He hadn't been with a woman in a while, which is why when he saw the current family visiting his house, he made sure to make everything perfect so they would be more likely to live here. Fortunately, he was right. They were sold on this house instantly and Loki was brimming with glee.

The wife, Elaine, had beautiful black curls that he wanted to run his fingers through over and over. They were so soft, shiny, and bouncy. He couldn't stop himself from touching her hair the first time she came to see the house and take a tour. He made sure that his presence wasn't felt as he touched her. Her beauty was easy to get lost in. Her eyes were large and chocolate brown. She had sweet red lips that he couldn't wait to kiss and suck on. Despite giving birth to two kids, her body remained rather firm. He had gotten a good look at that glorious body as she was relaxing in the bath.

Loki was too eager and he couldn't stop himself so he visited her in her mind. He wasn't at all surprised by what he saw. The perfect family picture on a sunny day but Loki decided to tweak it a bit. Turning her sunny day into a cold barren wasteland before showing her the body of her dead husband had been thrilling. Unfortunately she had woken up so soon so Loki couldn't ravish her as he wanted but he was about to now.

After tracing his fingers on the lovely marks he had given her, Loki ran his hands up and down her curves. He grasped her breasts and played with her nipple before moving his other hand to caress her backside.

Once upstairs, he placed her onto the bed and climbed on top of her.

"Someone's happy." She said, breathlessly looking up at him.

"You have no idea." He replied before silencing her with another kiss. He quickly lifted up her night gown before ripping her panties off. Running his hand up her thighs, he slowly put two fingers inside her. He nearly orgasmed from that alone. It had truly been such a long time he felt the hot moist flesh of a woman.

He continued moving his fingers inside her before placing his mouth on one of her rosy nipples.

Her chest was going up and down rapidly and she made soft sweet little noises that made Loki rock hard. He removed his fingers and spread her legs even further apart, before lining himself against her. Just as he was about to enter her, he felt the owner of this body fight against him. Loki grit his teeth in anger. He would be damned if he relinquished this body back to that mortal man.

Calling onto his powers, he silenced the man once again.

"Are you okay?" Elaine asked, noticing how her husband's body had gone stiff.

"I'm fine." He replied harshly, his eyes flashing.

She flinched just a bit and Loki caught himself. He rubbed the side of her cheek, affectionally. "Sorry," he said, "Now where were we?"

He laid her back down and entered her body in one large thrust.

Euphoria washed over his body in a large wave. His eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head at the pleasure he felt.

It had really been too long.

He began moving inside her, loving the way her muscles contracted against his flesh, pulling him deeper inside her. Her breasts jiggled with his every move and her eyes were closed in pleasure.

As he gazed down at her, Loki felt his eyes changing color. Going from the husband's brown to Loki's emerald green. He couldn't help it. He only wished that the woman wouldn't open her eyes.

Leaning down, he began sucking her neck and whispering dirty things into her ear. Her hands ran up and down his arms while her legs were wrapped around his waist, pulling him in deeper and deeper into her core.

"Oh, that feels so good. I'm so close." She moaned. Loki felt her start to contract and he also noticed how jerky her body was becoming. She was moving her hips against his while her arms flailed all over the place as her moaning increased in its volume.

As she reached her climax, she squeezed around him so deliciously tight, but Loki wasn't done.

Far from it.

X

Elaine lay in bed on Cloud 9. Last night had truly been an intense love making session. After settling down and having children, they had rarely had time for sex, especially one as long and intense as that.

It lasted for hours. He took her in multiple positions and hit spots she didn't even know was there. By the time he was done, she was covered in sweat and the inside of her thighs were all sticky. But she was feeling too much pleasure to care. She barely had time to even think about that before her body passed out.

Now, she lay in bed blushing slightly every time she felt a little pain in her lower abdomen. It was a sweet kind of pain though and she relished in it. Her husband was sleeping quietly next to her and she turned to him. She gazed upon his sleeping form, lovingly, taking in every inch of him. From his head to his toes.

Her eyes stopped at his chest and she noticed that it wasn't moving. She continued staring at his chest and it did not rise nor fall. Quickly, she placed her fingers under his nostrils, hoping she would feel the warm air of his breath but there was nothing. Horrified, she placed both hands on his chest and pushed down roughly. His eyes suddenly flew open. For a split second, his eyes had looked green but now they were his usual brown. Elaine was too terrified to ponder on that and just chalked it up to her simple imagination.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" She asked, worryingly, she was wringing her fingers in her hands, still slightly panicked.

He looked confused for a moment but then smiled slightly. "I am fine." His voice was deeper and more smoother than normal and she gazed at him confused. He coughed. "I am fine, my dear." He said and this time his voice was back to normal. Back to the man who she had fallen in love with and bore children for.

"You weren't breathing. Your chest wasn't moving at all."

He grabbed her hand. "I am fine, darling. There is no need to be so worried, my silly wife." He rubbed her hand and bent to kiss her. "Relax and get some sleep."

"Okay." She responded but she still worried about him.

X

Alex was searching the house frantically, tears welling in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Elaine asked him. He was currently bent over, searching under the couch for something.

"The kitten is gone." He cried. "He was last with me but now he is gone. Is he in your room?" He asked with a slight glimmer of hope in his eyes."

"I don't think so but we can go check." She held out her hand and Alex grabbed it. Together they walked up the stairs and into the master bedroom.

"Here kitty kitty." Elaine called softly, hoping the kitten would come. She was almost certain the kitten wasn't in her room though. She had been in there all day with her husband and the cat had yet to appear.

After calling again and receiving no answer, they left and went to search her other child's room.

Sophia was the eldest child of Elaine and Scott. Unlike Alex who tended to be more open and outgoing, Sophia was more quiet and reserved. She loved nothing more than curling up in her bed and reading a book. While she did have a fondness for animals, it was unmatched by her younger brother's passion for the small furry creatures

Perhaps the kitten had gone into her room. Elaine thought. She surely hoped so otherwise Alex would be crestfallen. He had finally had a pet and now it was gone.

She knocked on Sophia's door softly. "Sophia, we are wondering if you have the pet in your room or have you seen it." Opening the door, Elaine locked eyes with her eldest child.

"I'm sorry mother. He hasn't come into my room." She said, sitting up on her Cinderalla sheets. She was in her pajamas and her hair was tucked into a neat braid that went down her back. The television was on and Sophia didn't look like she was sleeping so Elaine was happy to not have woken her.

"That's strange." Elaine said. "Let's check downstairs with your father. It's likely the cat is with him or possibly even outside." Elaine kept her voice cheerful. She didn't truly think the cat had run away. Why would he? How would he? Scott never left doors open.

They had went back downstairs to find Scott and found him sitting in the backyard, underneath the trees. The wind was blowing and the leaves seemed to dance around her husband.

"Scott!" She called, walking to him.

Her husband rose up from his sitting position gracefully and turned to them.

"Have you seen the cat?" She asked.

"No, I have not." He answered.

"What were you doing out here?" She asked puzzled.

"Admiring nature. It's a nice day out, don't you think?"

"Sure but the cat is gone. Do you think it has run off? How would that even be possible?"

Scott's brows crinkled in concern. "I am not sure. I haven't seen the thing all day, actually."

Alex started to cry.

His father knelt down in front of the boy. "Do not worry Alex. If you like, we can go look for it. If it did get out, then it's probably just around the neighborhood." He rubbed the boy's hair affectionately.

"Okay." He sniffed.

All three of them turned and walked back inside of the house but as the wind blew, Elaine could have sworn she heard the sound of a woman's voice just beyond the trees.

X

Loki had been sitting on the cough in the living room when the voice had called to him. Looking outside and towards the oak trees, he saw the lone arm stretched out from the ground and reaching towards him. It was a slim rotting arm covered in worms, with dirt packed deep underneath the nails.

Loki knew what that meant. When he was gone, his wives always grew restless.

Loki had gotten up and went outside and into the backyard. Sitting down underneath the trees, Loki held the arm and began caressing it. One of the worms that was mingling between the flesh of the arm had crawled on Loki's hand, but he didn't mind. It wasn't real after all.

"There there." He said soothingly. "I won't be gone for too long. And when I return, you will have a new friend." He promised.

There was no response. There never was a response besides the wind picking up and leaves blowing around him.

The arm that he was holding had suddenly disappeared. Vanished into thin air as if it hadn't ever been there in the first place. Loki closed his eyes, admiring the image of all his beautiful wives. Many had been with him for so long, decades even, yet he loved and cherished them all equally. Regardless of how long they had been with him, age had never touched their faces. They remained as young and beautiful as they had been the day Loki had taken them beyond the oak trees.

The women Loki had taken as brides were all various sizes, races, and ages. Some had skin the color of olives with hair so long and full, while another had skin so rich and dark and velvety, with hair that defied gravity itself.

Regardless of the difference in their appearances, there was one thing all of the women bore. That was the four marks of Loki on their upper arms, tying them to him forever.

He heard Elaine and Alex call for him and broke from his little wedding reunion. Eyeing the boy crying, Loki figured they were both searching for the cat.

Sighing internally, Loki walked into the house with them and Loki grabbed Alex's hand. "Let's go look for the kitten." He said, smiling.

**AN: Decided to update early for Valentine's Day. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

While Scott and Alex went outside to look for the kitten, Elaine continued to search for it in the house. It was so odd for a cat to just disappear like that. Elaine checked the doors and none had a kitten door. She doubts her husband or her kids would have left the door open long enough for the kitten to crawl out, either. After thoroughly searching the house, Elaine decided to check the backyard. It was the first place she had ever seen the kitten so maybe it had gone there again.

She stepped out into the grass feeling the gentle breeze kiss her skin. The lawn was soft and moist against the soles of her feet. She had considered going back upstairs to throw on some slippers but decided not to since she wouldn't be outdoors for more than a few minutes. Walking towards the trees, she called for the kitten. There was no answer nor any movement, she walked closer to the trees.

Looking around, she didn't see the cat though a strange uneasy feeling came over her. The trees were large and the leaves blocked out the sun. It seemed as if everything had suddenly turned darker. Goosebumps dotted along her arms. Elaine didn't want to be out here anymore. Turning around, she went to walk away but then suddenly fell face first into the ground. She had tripped on a vine, it seems. The vine wrapped around her ankle and when she tried to pull it out, the vine got tighter and dug into her skin.

Elaine forced herself to calm down. She was being irrational and letting childish fears get the best of her. Breathing deeply to relax her nerves, she sat up and carefully freed her ankle from the vine. Once free, she smiled at her silliness. She had a habit of blowing things way out of proportion and thinking too deeply about small things.

She stood up once more and continued walking away, making herself not look back no matter how badly her body wanted to. She couldn't shake this odd feeling that if she stared at the oak trees long enough, she would see something. What something? She didn't know. Elaine felt like she was over thinking things.

A person could see anything if they wanted to.

X

It was a bright sunny day as Loki and Alex strolled through the neighborhood looking for the kitten. The moment Loki took on another form, he usually made the kitten form disappear. It wasn't impossible for Loki to create an illusion of the kitten while in the form of the father, but it still required more energy to keep up the illusion and Loki didn't feel like doing all of that. Still, in the interest of looking worried and being nice, Loki agreed to help Alex look for the little lost kitten.

Loki didn't mind, not at all really. It felt nice to walk among the humans once more and feel the sun rays shine down hotly on his skin. While the human body had way too many weaknesses and was vulnerable to different types of diseases, Loki still liked wearing the flesh of humans. The nerves on a human body were much mere sensitive than his regular body. It made him feel so alive. He greatly enjoyed it.

The boy, however, was not so happy. His face was red and Loki could tell he was becoming more and more frustrated the longer they didn't find the cat.

Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, Loki knelt and said, "Do not worry, son." The word "son" felt odd on his lips, but Loki said it anyway. "We will continue looking for the cat but if we don't find him, we'll go to the shelter and find you another pet." He promised.

Alex did look a little excited at that but Loki could tell he wanted the cat to come back. They continued walking and Loki took in the scenery. Many things had changed in this neighborhood since he had last laid eyes on it around two or three years ago.

Loki was no stranger to this place. He had made the house his place of residence around 60 years ago. The neighborhood had looked quite different back then. In the 1950's people had started preferring a nice suburban life instead of the bustling city life. Neighborhoods had popped up all around. The ideal family home was a nice two-story house and a white picket fence.

Loki preferred this as well. The city apartments were so small and noisy. He couldn't do as he pleased with a family in such a place. The screams would set off all types and alarms and they would be interrupted by neighbors. But in a place like this, with individual houses for one family to reside in, it was absolutely perfect.

In in the beginning, the house was located in the front of the neighborhood, but as the neighborhood swelled and expanded, the house was now located in the back of the neighborhood.

Loki was quite pleased with his choice. The first family that moved in was a young middle-class couple. The typical American family of the father working while the mother was a housewife and looked after the kids. They were so upbeat and cheerful that Loki felt almost bad. Almost.

Loki had been eager and didn't wait long to sink his teeth in. Loki had never been patient but in his opinion, he was always merciful. Most humans spat at his sign of mercy, leaving him no choice but to eliminate the entire family. He had offered the first woman that choice. _Come with him and your family will be safe or resist and watch your family die._ All but one wife had chosen than path. Loki kept his promise to the one who didn't resist him and spared her family. He allowed them to move out of the house with absolutely no trouble. Loki remembered that day. He had watched them leave with all of their belongings in the form of the kitten.

With each family that came into the house, they brought their own unique style and décor. Throughout the years, the house was constantly redesigned to match the style and architecture of newer houses as time went on and on. And now there was a new family. And after that family would come another and another.

If Loki did ever decide that he was tired of the house, he could leave at any time he choose. He was not bound to the house, nor connected to it in anyway. He was simply a resident there along with the others.

X

Alex swallowed the lump in his throat. With each step he took, he became more and more nervous. He didn't want to admit that the cat was gone. Some part of him still kept a small glimmer of hope alive. He thought with every turn of a corner that the kitten may be waiting for him but with each and every turn, there was no sign of it.

While his father did promise to take him to the shelter and pick out another animal, Alex really wanted this kitten. He had already named it and everything. He didn't just want to replace it. Not to mention, how would the cat survive?

He imagined the pure creature hungry, cold, and wet. He could possibly get hit by a car or even end up in the pound where he would be euthanized. Those thoughts worried him and so he continued on and until his father spoke at last.

"It might be time to stop looking. It doesn't seem like we will find him." He said, voice serious. "I will of course print out pictures and place them in places just in case he is found by anyone else, okay?"

"Okay." Alex said, staring at the ground. His father took his hand and they turned around and headed home. Alex was ready to go home and curl up in his bed. He was usually very hungry this time around, but he found that he had no appetite at all.

"When do you think we can go to the shelter and get a new pet?" He asked his father.

"If the kitten isn't found in a week or so, then we will go soon. By the first of next month you shall have a cat or a new pet of your choosing, dearest."

"Dearest?" Alex, questioned, laughing a bit. "You've never called me that before."

His father glanced down at him. "Well you are my dearest. My dearest son."

"Oh father! I just thought of something." Alex exclaimed. "If we do go to the shelter, can we get a dog or maybe even a bunny?"

"Of course. We will get whatever you like."

That made him beam with joy and the day didn't seem so bad anymore. Whirling his father's hand, a smile graced Alex's lips. "Do you remember that time when me, Mom, and Sophia brought home that puppy?"

"How could I forget? I was very amused."

Alex looked at his father confused, "No you weren't. You were angry because you said that with all of our pets, you're the one that looks after them and clean up their messes." Alex giggled.

"Of course, of course." His father replied.

X

Loki was eager to get back to the house and end this conversation with Alex. While Loki could switch bodies, he did not retain the memory of the person he was inside. Loki had a knack for evading many of the questions people asked of him. He would just shrug, agree, or laugh it off hoping they never noticed. For the most part, it worked. However, Alex was reminiscing. Chattering away at whatever topic randomly came to his little mind.

Loki answered with simple yes or no answers or would laugh. Anytime Alex brought up a memory, Loki would jokingly claim not to remember because he was an old man. That made Alex laugh until he brought up a more serious memory.

Loki could tell it was an important memory because of how Alex's voice changed from light to strangely more dark. Things only got worse as Alex began asking Loki serious questions about the event and Alex expected more than one worded answers.

"I don't know." Loki answered.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Alex asked.

Loki clenched his jaw, angrily but then smiled as an idea formed in his mind.

"Are you feeling okay, father?"

Loki sighed and knelt in front of Alex. "I am fine, just a little…annoyed."

"Is it because of me?" Alex asked, cautiously.

"Why yes, it is because of you." A look of hurt passed on the boy's features before his face took on shock. From the way his face had changed so rapidly, Loki knew that he had noticed the change in his "father's" eye color.

"Father, what was that? What happened to your eyes?" He questioned, backing away slowly.

"I am not your father." Loki hissed in his own voice, instead of Scott's. Digging his nails viciously into the upper arm of Alex.

Alex shook free of Loki's painful hold and backed away, quickly turning to run when he noticed the black kitten sitting directly across the street from him. He ran towards it immediately but stopped his body as he saw the car coming down the street.

Despite stopping his momentum to not get ran over, Alex felt a strong push and he was flung into the street, right as the car drove towards him.

The kitten disappearing from his very eyes as steel met flesh.


End file.
